Pest and Rodent Control: Securing Your Seattle Area Home From Rats

Welcome to our first blog post here at epepestnewsnorthwest.com. We want to use this new space, primarily to give people in the Seattle and Everett area, a place to find tips about how to best secure a Seattle or Everett property from unwanted pests. We hope to also help keep readers informed about some of the preventative maintenance steps you can take to keep your house safe.

Before sharing our first topic, we should also mention that the information to be found here will include pest and rodent control tips suitable for both Seattle homeowners and used to rid pests at Seattle’s commercial property’s.

Today’s post is about rodents, namely rats in Seattle

You might have read recently that Seattle is the 7th most rodent infested city in the United States. If not, check out an article from the Seattle Times and appropriately titled,

So, with the weather getting colder and the rats looking for a nice cozy place for the winter, we thought our first blog should help you make sure that that nice cozy place is not your home.

Once a rodent gets into your house, it can cause thousands of dollars of damage to electrical wiring, roofing, insulation, and many other areas of your house. So, exclusion is the key to keeping rodents out of your house. Identifying areas where a rat could enter the structure, and depending on the size of the entry point using steel wool, ¼ X ¼ hardware cloth, or Great Stuff Expanding Foam to seal it up. Of course there are other ways to exclude a problem area, but these materials are easy to use and can be obtained from any hardware store.

While you are doing your inspection, here are some areas to pay particular attention to:

Holes near cabinets, closets or doors leading outside or into the crawl spaces.

Holes around pipes or other materials that enter the house.

Cracked foundation in the basement or crawl space.

Ventilation holes in the attic.

Holes around windows or doors.

Vents or crawl spaces under buildings that may be missing covers.

Dryer vents that may be missing covers.

Cleanliness and landscaping can also help make your home less attractive to rodents.

Inside:

Put food items contained in boxes or plastic bags in hard containers.

Choose garbage cans that seal tightly.

Rinse your garbage cans often.

Do not leave pet food or water out overnight.

Sweep up crumbs and keep counter tops free of food.

Remove papers, fabric, and other materials that rodents like to use for nesting.

Fix water leaks and keep areas near sinks clean and free of moisture.

Outside:

Avoid thick ground covers like ivy that provide food and shelter for rodents.

Keep firewood and compost piles as far away from the house as possible

Maintain a 2 foot space between bushes and shrubs, and the house.

Trim tree limbs that come within 3 feet of the house

Avoid feeding other wildlife, even birdfeeders, as they can provide a food source for rodents.

Keep outdoor grills and cooking areas clean.

Use trash bins that seal tightly to keep rodents out.

Hopefully, these tips about how to prevent rodents from infesting your Seattle area home will keep the rodents out. But, if you need help securing your home or getting rid of a current infestation, give us a call at Eagle Pest Eliminators, and we guarantee to get your home rodent free.

Preventative Maintenance Tip

January is going to be cold, so be sure to check under the hood of your car every once in a while this month. Rodents may use your car’s engine as a place to stay warm and cause damage to wires and other components of the vehicle.